The Collection: Amazon Orders First Original UK Drama Series

by Cindy McLennan, December 1, 2015

Amazon has ordered a new period drama, The Collection, a haute couture fashion series, set in post-World War II France. According to Variety, The Collection TV show, “…is created, written and executive produced by Oliver Goldstick.” Executive producers are Anne Thomopoulos and Kate Croft, with Dearbhla Walsh directing. UK’s Lookout Point is the production company

Production in France and Wales is set to begin in January. From Variety:

“The Collection” is the story of an illustrious Paris fashion house, emerging from the dark days of the Occupation, now ushering in a new golden age of design and business. The family saga centers on two very different brothers, and “exposes the grit behind the glamour and the treachery beneath the trappings of this empire, and all who work there,” Amazon said. […]

Goldstick said: “’The Collection’ has been a passion project of mine for years; an entrepreneurial fable set in a pivotal moment in history, where fashion served as the ultimate vehicle for transformation and re-invention. It’s the story of a war-scarred family — upstairs and downstairs — tethered together by its success and its secrets.”

Croft said: “Out of our shared passion for the world and the period, Oliver has created his extraordinary vision of Paris and the golden age of couture. It’s full of his signature flourishes, and his unique take means we get to peek behind the elegant facade and realize it is not just about the dresses, but more about what they are covering up.”

Ha. What makes you disinterested, Vicki? Is it the fashion industry setting, or that it’s a period drama, or something else? I think if they hit the right note with the costumes (as Mad Men did with 1960s apparel), it could be a beautiful show to watch, particularly since it’s being shot in France and Wales. It was a pretty important time in modern fashion (see the Jezebel article linked above in my main article). For me, whether I’ll like the story ultimately depends on the writing and acting, so it’s too soon for me to say about that. Anyhow,… Read more »